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Atlas/Asia Major
Comprised of the great barbaric realms of Celesyria, Iran, Mesopotamia and Bactriana, Asia Major explodes on eastwards from Anatolia into, leading across the lands of ancient barbarian empires until the very gates of Bactriana and Sogdiana, famed for the silk which is said to be produced in distant lands further east, separated by even more leagues' worth of seldom travelled wastes and inhospitable mountain ranges. Nevertheless, Alexander's passing many decades ago however may have been a blessing in disguise: his former friends and employees, usurpers as they may be, have ensured that the barbarians of Asia will finally understand what makes a Greek far more superior than any race on earth. Of the Greeks who have made themselves lords of Asia, however, the Seleucids have seized Mesopotamia and have shown thus far to be the most powerful if not the most antagonistic, holding sway over the Pontics, Bactrians, Parthians, Bosporans and Armenians. Whether the Pergamenes of Ionia will ever bend their knee to the heirs of Seleucus however is another matter. Acknowledgments Special thanks goes to Aaliyah T Kheli for confirming a few small but significant details on the design notes for Gadruza. Notes The sheer size of Asia means that if one needs strategic resources, they need go no further than the reaches of Asia Major. The barren landscape means that spices and wool frequently feature in Asia Major, alongside more exotic wares such as glassware, cotton, diamonds and incense which all can benefit your civilisation greatly. Asia Major is also fairly large and versatile, covering an area from the mountains of Arianna all the way to the shores of Africa, but a near-lack of borders and a large number of neighbours means that expansion in Asia may prove difficult, especially for factions such as the Seleucids who are often surrounded by many factions they need to slay. In this case, diplomacy is very much necessary. If any factions have the best starts, however, it would be the Sabaeans, Baktrians and Parthians since they are somewhat isolated from the potential hotspots for conflict, such as the Levantine coast where the Hellenic kingdoms tend to congregate. Strategic resources: file:vinum.png file:Th_957530321_temp941_123_30lo.jpg file:02917_101667_01b_123_519lo.jpg file:adamas.jpg file:cotton.jpg file:spice.png file:olive.jpg file:2009-10-07-07-0.png file:glassware.jpg file:incense.jpg file:coffeum.png Drangiana Dominated by craggy mountains and sandy valleys, Drangiana consists of the more barren southeastern half of the Iranian world, tucked away between Iran and India and fronting the Gulf of Hormuz. Arachosia *Corresponds to: Afghanistan This mountainous territory is dominated by a single river which makes life seem to appear like a mirage in this otherwise barren land. This is also the source of some of the finest lapis to be found in all the world. Gadruza *Alternate names: Gedrosia *Corresponds to: Sindh Water and vegetation are so scarce in this arid and mountainous coastal region that Greek visitors have named those brave, unlucky or mad enough to live and die here the "fish-eaters" after the main component of their diet. Despite this desert land's deadly reputation, its inhabitants live in mountain valleys where precipitation is greatest, but the city of Pura therein allows access to the riches of India. For this reason, both Fars and Mazun are accessible from Gadruza, giving whomsoever controlling this territory the ability to enter the former while bypassing the neighbouring territory of Karmania. Karmania *Alternate names: Gedrosia *Corresponds to: Elburz (south) Despite this desert land's harsh reputation, the coastline is heavily wooded, making it an excellent source of both pastoral products from the sandy north and precious timber from the southern coastal forests. Arianna In contrast to arid and isolated Drangiana, Arianna is known as the main terminus of trade for silk, a commodity of increasing demand in the world. Slaves and luxuries from Greece and beyond arrive here to be exchanged for the goods of distant lands. Thus for this reason, Bactriana produces the greatest amount of tribute to anyone capable of uniting all its territories under a single sceptre. Baktra *Alternate names: Bactria *Corresponds to: Afghanistan This rocky and harsh land has come alive with trade following the establishment of the Diadochi, and is one of the many kingdoms in Greek Asia ruled by the great Seleucid empire. Sugh *Alternate names: Sogdiana *Corresponds to: Turkestan The true wealth of Baktra is not found in its foothills, but rather in this neighbouring territory, famed for its shining yet ill-fated daughter Rukhanna who married Alexander the Great. Sugh however is not just known for its place in the annals in Seleucia: if Baktra is the office, then Sugh is the warehouse of its monarchs, and is where the silk-bearing caravans of distant lands arrive with their precious cargoes. Khwarzmish *Alternate names: Chorasmia *Corresponds to: Khwarezmia This desolate land forms part of the Silk Road ranging from Bactria into the Mediterranean, and is the last frontier of the Bactrian lands before arriving in Iran. Political summary Factions: 50px|link=Bactrians The Bactrian campaign in The Wolf among Lions will be about seeking independence and then eliminating the two main threats to Bactria: the Parthians who are fairly close on Parthia's southeastern borders, and the Seleucids controlling Gadruza to the south, stalling any chance of quick unification of Drangiana. The first task you need to do as Bactria is to take out Chorasmia as quickly as possible. This serves two things: the first is to provide a supply centre for your armies, and the second is to keep the Parthians and Seleucids out of Arianna. If left to their own devices, the Parthians may grow and become too powerful for Bactria to handle. The best way forward for the Bactrians might be to ally with the Parthians, and then use the Parthians to take over other neighbouring territories. Ultimately, however, you will need to find some way of escaping from the confines of Asia and to expand westwards if you are to survive. Fortunately for you the Seleucids are your allies, however as a satrapy of the Seleucids you are restricted in your diplomatic options and the Seleucids will continuously vampirise part of your tribute income. You will need to find some way to either make use of them or to keep them out when the time comes. Wait for the Seleucid armies to depart to Egypt, and then either destroy Parthia or "liberate" the Seleucid territories of Verkhana and Gordiana to bolster your troops. Persia Once the umbillicus of the mighty Achaemenid Empire,Persia is now a former shadow of itself, subservient to its Greek masters who have ensconced themselves in their palaces in Mesopotamia. Verkhana *Corresponds to: Elburz (w) The beauty and fecundity of this land is likened to heaven on earth. Parthava *Corresponds to: Elburz (e) This is the capital of the Parthian satrapy, subservient to the Seleucids. Parsa *Alternate names: Persis *Corresponds to: Fars Although the Achaemenids are long since gone, the vestiges of their achievements still remain in sufficient number and grandeur to amaze the unwashed and uncultured. Political summary Factions: link=Parthians|50px Persia is split between the Parthians (who control, naturally, Parthava) and the Seleucids who maintain a presence in Verkhana. It will not be a simple matter for the Parthians — who are satraps and pay tribute to the Seleucids — to break out of this straitjacket, given the fact that Persia has only one supply centre, and that has been taken over by the Seleucids. Parthia is thus one of the harder factions to play in The Wolf among Lions CtW, with almost no access to supplies and a dwindling stock of tribute. The first thing that Parthia may need to do would be to seize the territory of Khwarzmish to the north. Taking Khwarzmish will swell your armies as well as your stock of tribute, and the Bandits card obtained there can be sold off ... although it might be wiser to hold on to it to weaken either the Baktrians .... or better still, the Seleucids .... when the time comes. Additionally, this will forestall any chances of Baktria from becoming a threat to you later on when the time comes for war. The next task, depending on how Baktria played out, would be to seize either Sugh to the north or Fars to the south. Both are rich with rare resources which can be vital for your war effort. An alternate path is to Karmania to take out Arachosia although it might be possible that by the time that happens the Baktrians may have beaten you to Arachosia and its valuable supply centre. Use your tribute to buy territories if you can, the conquest of all Asia forms part of your hegemonic goals — try to buy land in the west while taking out what scraps of it you can in the east. Syria is of vital importance, because it allows access to Glass which will grant extra tribute as long as you can keep most of the world from declaring war on you. If you have managed to do this, however, you should then be sufficiently large enough to dispose of the two Hellenistic factions hemming you in. Remember that like you, Baktria is a satrapy and can only declare war, not form alliances, so choose your targets carefully if you feel like taking out the factions around you. Mesopotamia *Owned by: Seleucids (entire region) The resilience of Mesopotamia is the secret to why the Seleucids have not just survived for so long but also managed to even corral the other powers of Asia into their fold. Babylon, the oldest survivng city in this land thus far remains a vital hub of the trade which stretches from Asia to Iberia. For this reason, Alexander the Great planned to make this the eastern capital of his new empire (and some say chose to even depart for his forefathers' here). Even so, Babylon's age is catching up with it and Alexander's Seleucid successors have moved their capital further north to a new city named Seleucia. Gordiana *Corresponds to: Zagros Haunted mountains infested with the scum and villainy of Ahriman. But even devils can be called upon to perform divine feats for gods and godly kings! Babylon *Alternate names: Seleucia, Tigris, Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia Inf (Aust) *Corresponds to: Iraq Although Babylon is long forgotten and is little more than a crumbling monastery for the worship of forgotten gods whose time has long passed, their priests still share many great secrets in the arts of administration. Merchants also sail up into the Persian Gulf to Mesopotamia, bringing spices from India which are freely sold here. Seleucia *Alternate names: Assyria, Nineveh, Athura, Mesopotamia Sup (Bor) *Corresponds to: Kordestan Formerly known as Assyria or Athura, a new line of emperors - the Seleucids - have taken over this ancient land, renovated its cities and named it after their esteemed progenitor the strategos Seleucus I Nicator. Trade routes from Mesopotamia and Iran must pass through Seleucia, making it thus the envy and object of hatred from the other Greek powers. Rumour has it that the Seleucids - now seen as a more elevated caste of robbers and thieves - moved their capital here so as to consort with the dreaded pirates of Cilicia, a stone's throw away to the west! Political summary Factions: 50px|link=Seleucids The heart of the Seleucid kingdom, Mesopotamia is not only just powerful but rich as well, with Babylon sporting a market for spices and a supply centre based in Seleucia itself. The Seleucid empire also doesn't just cover Macedonia, but covers Syria to the southwest, as well as Cappadocia to the west and Iran's south and west. Equally, the Seleucids also have several satrapies, most notably Armenia, Parthia, and Bactria, as well as an ally in the form of Pontus and Cimmeria to the north. The only issue for the Seleucids is that apart from Babylonia and Seleucia, most Seleucid domains are at low levels of fortification, meaning that they are excellent targets of opportunity for the many factions which surround the Seleucid empire. So while the Seleucids have a vast contingent of 5 armies, defence can be a big issue, because most of its supply centres are located in northern Asia Major. The only good news for the Seleucids is that its so-called friends, the satrapies, are not capable of allying with one another until they rebel which should buy the Seleucids enough time to smooth out its supply problems, and then go on the attack. Additionally the satrapies pay you tribute every so often but eventually they will rebel. So much for satrapies. Thus far, the two major factions which the Seleucids need to be wary of are Macedon in Hellas, and Egypt in Africa, who are seeking to destroy any and all other Greek factions. However, while Macedon is embroiled in war with other Greeks, the Egyptians have a free hand so they should be taken care of first. Once the Egyptians are taken care of you should then be able to turn on your satrapies and assimilate them in full into your empire to secure your military strength, which can then be directed upon the rest of the world. On the other hand, the Parthians are dangerously ambitious, so you need to keep an eye on them. Bactria itself is busy making money and dealing with internal pressures, so they may be left alone. Celesyria *Owned by: Egypt (Judaea), and Selecids (other territories) Despite its strange name - in Aramaean, "All of Syria" - Celesyria has very little if anything to do with the real "Syria" - that is Assyria, now Hellenicised as Seleucia. It is better left said that Celesyria is best described as the maritime home of the Semitic tribes and kingdoms of old, from which the kingdoms of Cyprus and Judaea are descended from. Syria *Alternate names: Phoenicia, Syria Magna, Damascus *Corresponds to: Syria The land erroneously called Syria was once called Phoenicia, and consists of the Phoenician coast as well as the Syrian desert to the southeast. Although the Phoenicians have been reduced in power and prominence by the Greeks, business still goes on in its cities, with goods cleared from Africa and Sabaea passing through the desert to the coastline. Judaea *Alternate names: Palestine, Jerusalem *Corresponds to: Jerusalem This sandy and arid land is dominated by a long strip of coastal plain in the north, and arid mountains further south where it meets the land of the Nabataeans. The fact that Judaea has long been the frontier line of kingdoms past and present however has stoked an undying hatred and contempt of foreigners in its people's hearts. Cyprus *Alternate names: Alaxia *Corresponds to: Cyprus! Formerly divided into four Phoenician city-states, this island defected to the Macedonians during Alexander's march to the east, preserving its customs and old ways of life and continues to do so. Aside from being a vital emporion for copper, Cyprus also is located on a strategic juncture between Judaea, Krete and Cilicia. Arabia Magna Arabia Magna covers the hot and arid wastes which are settled by a group of nomads who appear to have adapted a similar degree in culture and speech. It is dominated by the massive sandy waste known as "Arabia Magna", with all human settlement limited to the northern, southern and eastern peripheries. Although like all nomads the "Arabians" of this land often derive their living from hunting, herding and raiding, the sandy dunes are also host to some of the richest cities on earth, thanks to the trade between Africa, the Mediterranean and India. Arabian Desert One of the harshest environments ever known to man, this arid and sun-blasted desert land is home to desert nomad tribes ... as well as their flocks of sheep and goats. The Arabian Desert is not to be disdained, however — its location on the Erythrean Sea's east flank allows inroads into neighbouring Meroë. Hagar Dominated by the Arab city-state of Gerrha, Hagar represents one of the major terminuses of trade in the Arabian peninsula, and forms a vital link in international commerce, leading east into Iran and further north to Mesopotamia. Nabata *Alternate names: Madiam *Corresponds to: Hejaz Although they are related to the Sabaeans and the desert-dwelling hunter-gatherers of Arabia Magna, the Nabataeans have developed a sedentary lifestyle, fuelled by the exacting of tolls along the Red Sea coast trade route. Thanks to the security provided by them, they have access to a spice emporium in their homeland. Political summary Factions: 50px|link=Nabataeans|Nabataeans Despite being on the peripheries of Africa, Celesyria and Iran, don't expect things to remain peaceful for long. Alredy the Egyptians have seized control of part of Celesyria, while the Seleucids press in from the north and east, so it can be expected that sooner or later inroads by either faction into Arabia are very well likely. The biggest problem of the Arab factions is that Arabia is nearly devoid of supplies. The region itself has only one supply centre based in Gerrha and it will need to be seized in order to increase the might of your armies. This supply centre is based very near to the Sabaeans' starting position so the Sabaeans may be able to expand fairly quickly and early once this is obtained. Ideal targets of expansion include the lands up north or northeast, but these tend to be held by the Seleucids, so a lot of diplomacy is required for Nabtaea or Saba to survive their first few turns. The early AI player for Nabataea often offers satrapy rights to the human Egypt player; this offer should be accepted at all costs. Arabia Felix Most notably, the southernmost land of Saba, called "Happy Arabia" by Romans, is known as a producer of one of the finest goods known in the world — incense. Unlike Arabia Magna, Arabia Felix is relatively fertile, with winds from the Ethiopian Sea bringing in drenching monsoons which create forested hill valleys wherever they accumulate against the mountains of this coastal region Mazun Mazun's strategic location on the Gulf of Hormuz means that it is a vital staging post for those who wish to travel to India from the Middle East. The mountains of Mazun also hide viable deposits of ore, so it is by no means a poor region. Mazun is part of the maritime route which covers Fars, Karmania and Gadruza. Mahrah *Corresponds to: Yemen These foothills in the far south of the Arabian peninsula consist of harsh desert mountains which conceal lush and green valleys. *file:tribute.png: 35 Tihamah *Alternate name: Arabia Felix *Corresponds to: Yemen This land is the source of all incense which the civilised world uses to commune with the gods and to send their departed loves ones to the same. Although the Sabaeans do trade in other commodities, this is the one good on which their prosperity and fame rests, based on the trade routes which stretch along the Eastern African coastline, hailing at Damiot. Political summary Factions: link=Sabaeans|50px|Sabaeans Like the rest of the Arabian peninsula, Sabaea is protected by its isolation but hindered by the lack of supply centres throughout the region. However, life is a little rosier compared to Sabaea's Nabataean cousins. Sabaea's relative isolation from most other factions means that the Sabaeans have a lot of room to expand, particularly across Africa if need be so. The Ptolemaïc Egyptians may be embroiled in squabbles with the Nabataeans and Seleucids to the north where their Asian holdings are located, so it is possible that the Sabaean may send expeditions into Africa if need be, where there are plenty of resources to exploit such as slaves and gold. Category:Atlas